So my third recipe in the zucchini series is Stuffed Zucchini. This was super tasty. I used fresh Italian sausage, chopped zucchini, plus salt and pepper to season. Mix everything together and fry in extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes (I added a little water to keep everything soft). With the zucchini slice lengthwise and scrape out a little of the middle leaving a quarter centimeter edge all round. Place in a baking tray, fill with cooked filling, add a little soft cheese of your preference, cover lightly with baking paper add put in a pre-warmed oven 180° for twenty minutes. Serve warm from the oven.

Photographs were taken pre-cooked. A long long time spent arranging and photographing for an overhead shot but I eventually reverted to my usual style and much prefer the last shot I took which is the top photo here.

Have found a fantastic food blog/photography website written by an Australian girl – www.two-loves.com. Beautiful photos and lots of amazing advice. Used some basic advice on props (interesting) and background (minimal) and did a couple of photos that I really love for today’s recipe…. Crostini with Funghi (Mushrooms).

Super easy this one – chop a handful of parsley with a clove of garlic and start cooking in a pan with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil. Peel and chop mushrooms and add to the pan. Salt and pepper to season. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for ten/twelve minutes. Top your baguette slices with the mushrooms and serve. You can add a little mozzarella to each one and put in the oven for another ten minutes (180°c) – optional.

So I got another zucchini recipe underway yesterday … Savoury Zucchini Tart. I chose some of the smaller zucchini from the veggie garden and chopped fine rings. Into a pan with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a splash of water, a lid on top and let them simmer and sweat down until al dente. Leave the lid off for the last couple of minutes for the liquids to evaporate and then set aside to cool. Prepare a puff pastry in a dish (I usually go for round) with parchment paper underneath. Beat an egg in a bowl and add 2 tbs of grated parmeggiano and the zucchini. mix well and then spread into pastry base. Fold edges of pastry and baste lightly with egg wash (or milk). I sometimes add some small cubes of brie on top which melt into the zucchini. With beautiful fresh sweet zucchini I didn’t do this today – no need. A little more grated parmeggiano on top doesn’t go amiss, before putting into a preheated oven (180°c/350°F) for 15/20 mins.

It took as much time photographing the tart after making it as it did to make it, if not more! It’s an aspect of photography that I’m trying to improve on (people/portraits are more my forte). Here are my best results… am now researching a good food photography course to take!

It’s that time of year again when the zucchini seem to appear from nowhere overnight and this year I’ve decided to do as many different recipes as I can find – let’s see what the results are over the next few weeks.

I started yesterday with Zuchine Sott’Olio – a classic Italian way to preserve summer produce for use later in the year. Zucchine cut into strips, salted to draw out excess liquid (2 hours), blanched in boiling water (2 mins) then put into sterlised jars with some garlic, chilli pepper flakes, mint leaves and black pepper, topped off completely with extra virgin olive oil. The filled jars look so colourful and I can’t wait to try these from September onwards (min one month in jar recommended).

Ravioli are a type of filled pasta composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin pasta dough. The word ravioli is reminiscent of the Italianverb riavvolgere (“to wrap”), though the two words are not historically connected. The word may also be a diminutive of Italian dialectal rava, or turnip.

The history of ravioli is an interesting tale. So far as Italy is concerned, the earliest records of ravioli appear in the preserved letters of Francesco di Marco, a merchant of Prato in the 14th century. The pasta is described as being stuffed with pork, eggs, cheese, parsley and sugar, and during Lent a filling of herbs, cheese, and spices was used. There were both sweet and savory kinds. The city of Cremona claims to have created ravioli. But Genoa claims that too, insisting that the word ravioli comes from their dialect word for pasta, rabiole, which means “something of little value” and referred to the practice of poor sailors who suffered left overs into pasta to be eaten for another meal.

In 14th century England Ravioli appears in the Anglo-Norman manuscript Forme of Cury under the name of Rauioles. In Malta Raviul dating back before the North Italian ravioli, are stuffed with ricotta from the local sheep.

Here’s our version of Home-Made Ravioli Pasta with suggestions for fillings and accompanying sauces.

Ingredients

4 Eggs
400g Plain Soft Flour
Pinch Salt

How to make the Ravioli Dough

Start by putting the flour in a heaped pile on the table or pasta board (spianatoia).

Break the eggs into the ‘volcano’ of flour. Add a pinch of salt.

Use a spoon or fork to lightly beat the eggs in the middle before slowly bringing the flour into the mixture.

Once the mixture is not too sticky work it with your hands. Knead well for at least 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and suppliant.

Set the dough aside for half an hour and get your filling ready.

After the dough is ‘rested’ divide into two halves and roll each out as thin as possible, 1mm thin if possible. If you have a pasta machine then you’ll find it much easier to get the required thinness. Remember to pass the dough through at one thickness then gradually reduce the size and pass it through again.

Whether you decide to roll a circle (comes more naturally as a circle if hand rolled) or a more square shape then do both pieces the same shape.

Put a small dollop of filling at even intervals over the dough (see pictures). Smooth a little water between the dollops of filling.

Once completed lay the second half of pasta over the top and gently press between the mounds of filling. With a pastry cutter cut round the mounds to make the ravioli squares. Seal the edges with a fork.

An alternative method to using two pieces, one on top of the other, is to place the fillings in one half of the circle or other shape and then fold the other half over – see pictures.

Cook in boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Serve hot. See below for ideas for fillings & sauces.

Serves 4

RAVIOLI FILLINGS

Spinach & Ricotta

Cook the spinach in extra virgin olive oil and a little water with salt and pepper to taste.

Once cooked make sure you drain out all the water.

Chop very finely.

Add fresh ricotta cheese, one egg beaten, a pinch of salt & pepper and a dash of nutmeg.